The Toonerville Trolley was an icon of the Tahquamenon country—transporting sightseers and locals through the wilderness to the beautiful Tahquamenon River. But after 96 years of operation, the business was closed, and a buyer not secured. A Skandia, Michigan couple is now looking to give the train a second life by relocating the locomotive and cars a little over 100 miles from the original site.
Paul and Gina Wilson own the Neo Wilson Railway, a growing center for the preservation of railroad history. Recognizing the historical significance of the Toonerville Trolley as a celebrated tourist attraction and an important piece of Newberry’s history, the Wilsons are seeking to purchase and move the train. But they are looking for a little help.
“I always loved trains—It had been my dream since I was a kid to build a railroad,” said Paul.
Paul and Gina have a farm that has been in the family since the 1800s. It’s called Liberty Farms and Flour Mill, and there they operate the only state certified steam-powered flour mill in the country.
It was on their property where Paul and his son, Neo, would plan to create a tribute to their love of railroads together. Neo wanted to take over the farm someday and the two decided to build their own railroad. Their first purchase was a Porter steam locomotive from 1896. The father and son began to construct the tracks for their new purchase.
Sadly, Neo died in 2022 after suffering a cardiac event from an undetected heart condition. He was only 16.
Wanting to continue with the dream that father and son shared, the Wilsons created Neo Wilson Railway as a tribute to their late son.
Since completing their railroad, the Wilsons have used their train to promote Toys for Tots. That first event brought hundreds of people to their railroad. They also sponsored a Polar Express event for local families and children in foster care.
The site is becoming a tourist destination for railfans, and the couple continue to grow their hobby.
Then the Toonerville Trolley came into the picture.
On one of the final seasons that longtime owners and operators Kris and Dixie Stewart ran the trip, the Wilsons rode the trolley. Though they took a liking to the train, the couple didn’t want to buy the entire business, which was up for sale at the time.
After several potential sales of the business did not work out, the Stewarts offered the train and cars to the Wilsons.
“I told my wife that I think we are supposed to do this,” Paul said. “We want to make people happy and have a good place for people to come.”
The Wilsons will raise as much money as they can to purchase the locomotives, coaches, and flat cars from the Stewarts. Those large items will need to be transported from Soo Junction to Skandia. This project will also require funds for site preparation, work on mechanical systems, painting, and interpretive displays.
They have launched a fundraiser called Save Toonerville Trolley.
“It is really about saving history—we need to raise the money to buy the railroad, and it will make the purchase quicker.”
The Stewarts have promised to hold the Toonerville Trolley as long as they plan to hold the fundraiser.
“We are excited that the train will go to Skandia,” said Dixie Stewart. “They are awesome people and having all the equipment stay together is great.”
The Stewarts are also glad to know that the Wilsons will continue calling the train the Toonerville Trolley and will keep them all painted in the same green and yellow colors.
The project has a website called savetoonervilletrolley.com.
Individuals interested in donating can visit the website and contribute through a posted Venmo link. The first 50,000 people to donate $5 will receive $5 off their first train ride.
For larger contributions, or for information on other donation methods, call 906-361-3167.
